Like against Miami in the first round, Boston dropped Game 2 at home against Cleveland. And the criticism began to intensify around Jayson Tatumclumsy since the start of the postseason.
During Game 3, the Celtics winger responded with a performance more in line with his talent, on the Cleveland floor: 33 points at 11/25 shooting including 2/8 at 3-points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists . Certainly, Jayson Tatum is still below the 50% success mark, and he lost 5 balls, but he compensated for his clumsiness from afar by attacking the circle very quickly in the match, opening gaps into which his teammates rushed. .
“Tonight was a great test, an opportunity for us to come out on the pitch and respond, play better and be tougher.” he explained. “There was an intention behind every action. We communicated well. »
Even if many observers focus on his scoring, while he exceeded the 30 point mark for the first time in these playoffs, Jayson Tatum repeats that the number of points is not the main thing.
Dominate rather than score
“I've done it many times. Points come and go, but it's the balance with which we play that is the most important. We did it in a great atmosphere, and it was cool to take part in that. »
Faced with criticism, the winger concludes that his primary goal is to dominate, rather than score.
“I respect your work and the work of the guys on television. I don't always agree with what they say, but when they are fair and not emotional, I respect what they say. I understand what the media brings to the game, all the extra attention it generates, and that everyone benefits from it. So I don't take it as a lack of respect, even if they don't necessarily watch everything I do. My job is to be the best player possible for our team, every night. I'd like to put every shot I take, and I know I can shoot better, and I'm going to do it. At this time of year, as long as we're winning and going in the right direction, I know my scoring will go up. I have done this many times before. I'm just trying to affect the game in different ways and just dominate. »
| Jayson Tatum | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2017-18 | BOS | 80 | 31 | 47.5 | 43.4 | 82.6 | 0.6 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 13.9 |
| 2018-19 | BOS | 79 | 31 | 45.0 | 37.3 | 85.5 | 0.9 | 5.2 | 6.0 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 15.7 |
| 2019-20 | BOS | 66 | 34 | 45.0 | 40.3 | 81.2 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 23.4 |
| 2020-21 | BOS | 64 | 36 | 45.9 | 38.6 | 86.8 | 0.8 | 6.6 | 7.4 | 4.3 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 26.4 |
| 2021-22 | BOS | 76 | 36 | 45.3 | 35.3 | 85.3 | 1.1 | 6.9 | 8.0 | 4.4 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 26.9 |
| 2022-23 | BOS | 74 | 37 | 46.6 | 35.0 | 85.4 | 1.1 | 7.7 | 8.8 | 4.6 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 30.1 |
| 2023-24 | BOS | 74 | 36 | 47.1 | 37.6 | 83.3 | 0.9 | 7.2 | 8.1 | 4.9 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 26.9 |
| Total | 513 | 34 | 46.0 | 37.5 | 84.4 | 0.9 | 6.3 | 7.2 | 3.5 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 23.1 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
